I need help dealing with a bullying situation.

[StarshineEmber]

Cause him any-

Girl...i applaud you for being nice...but he does not deserve that!!! He can be going through puberty or a stubbed toe and i could care less. Your life, your safety is more important then him being happy or comfortable. Thats like saying its ok for a murder to kill women because his mother was killed.

No ..

Report him!!!

Maybe being nice will make him less angry. I was bullied before in the 3rd grade, but the guy moved away. I guess I'm kinda hoping the same thing will happen. I don't think he will go the extreme of hurting me. I think I should just wait it out. Maybe he'll stop bullying me.

[Mr Sneezy]

Cause him any-

Girl...i applaud you for being nice...but he does not deserve that!!! He can be going through puberty or a stubbed toe and i could care less. Your life, your safety is more important then him being happy or comfortable. Thats like saying its ok for a murder to kill women because his mother was killed.

No ..

Report him!!!

Maybe being nice will make him less angry. I was bullied before in the 3rd grade, but the guy moved away. I guess I'm kinda hoping the same thing will happen. I don't think he will go the extreme of hurting me. I think I should just wait it out. Maybe he'll stop bullying me.

No. He won't. I was bullied all the way through my school years and the schools didn't really care back then. Now the "duty of care" towards students is taken a bit more seriously. Or at least it should be.

You have to report him. We've all told you that. Don't wait until it becomes physical.......the only upshot of that being that then it is assault. Targeting a 14 year old girl just because his parents are divorcing is really fucked up.

Please keep usposted.

[Scandinavius]

He doesn't speak for everyone else, but it stills stings. I'm not smart like my friend N&L. I'm not athletic like my friend H&I. I'm not musically talented like my friend C&K. I'm not even beautiful. I have nothing to offer to any guy. He is stating the truth. I sometimes think that if I was prettier he would of not chosen me to be his target. Maybe it is my fault that I'm being bullied. Maybe he is just trying to open my eyes to make me try to be prettier or something. I don't want to leave that class because I have a lot of good friends in there. Thanks for the support though

Looks are tricky, it's not something that can be objectivily measured and it's really easy to get a skewed view of how you look, especially if someone keeps telling you you don't look good. Please do not get hung up on the way you look.

As has been said before in this thread it is not your fault you're being bullied. It sounds like this bullying is hurting you a lot so it really has to be stopped as soon as possible. When you are being damaged there is no use waiting to stop the damaging or you just get hurt worse.

It is easy to just focus on the bad things about yourself, particularly when you already feel bad but that image is not fair to you. Even if you don't see it, you have good qualities. Asking someone else to tell you what good things they see in you may help you see them.

You are important and you do not exist to be a punching bag for anyone!

Hank Green talking about looks and beauty:

[Arty]

Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesnt.

I was bullied all through middle and i tried being nice...but then i ended up so scared that i didnt want to go to school. You have to make choices that may not be good for everyone. But they must be done.

I admit that yes he needs help...yea his issues are terrible i feel bad. But you are not his fixer hon. Let me say this. We learn by observation. How many people will see how he is and want to follow. A bully has power if you let them. People crave power, control. How many will see you and think. Oh...im bullied so im not going to stand up.and take back the power.

If you want to help him, then say something so that he and his family can get proper help. Hopefully in the future, he can become better. Not be a product of circumstances. Thats how you help him hon.

[CHOCOLATE <3]

CHOCOLATE <3, on 21 February 2015 - 01:52 PM, said:

Artygirl22, on 21 February 2015 - 01:07 PM, said:

I dont care what issues he has...he has no right to use you as a scapegoat in his issues. Report him...before it gets out of hand. I've been bullied by my own peers and sadly family...but you have to say enough is enough.

He is in no way speaking for all guys. This dude is just downright mean, and is trying to make you feel bad about yourself. He wants you to feel like you're worth nothing. Don't take what he says to heart, it isn't true (I know it's easier said than done haha). I've been struggling with self-image a lot these past few years, if you need to talk to someone on here, message me

As for the bullying...I know you're scared, but I really really think you need to talk to a counselor or something, and try and get out of that class. Please, please, please talk to somebody before it gets any worse

He doesn't speak for everyone else, but it stills stings. I'm not smart like my friend N&L. I'm not athletic like my friend H&I. I'm not musically talented like my friend C&K. I'm not even beautiful. I have nothing to offer to any guy. He is stating the truth. I sometimes think that if I was prettier he would of not chosen me to be his target. Maybe it is my fault that I'm being bullied. Maybe he is just trying to open my eyes to make me try to be prettier or something. I don't want to leave that class because I have a lot of good friends in there. Thanks for the support though

I really don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. when you say you aren't smart, do you mean that you don't get as good of grades as your friend? Grades have nothing to do with intelligence. At all. I get sucky grades (academic probation, anybody?), but that doesn't mean I'm not smart.

I'm not athletic either, but who really cares about that? Being athletic doesn't make a person any better than anybody else.

I call bullshit on him "trying to make you prettier". He's preying on your insecurities, he knows that by calling you ugly, he's hurting you. You sitting around, and making excuses for him isn't doing either of you any good. All it's doing is making you feel worse about yourself.

It's not your fault.

It's NOT your fault.

It's NOT your fault.

Like everybody else said. A bad home life explains his behavior, but it does not excuse how horribly he's treating you.

Please forget about worrying about him getting in trouble. His behavior deserves consequences, it doesn't deserve nothing being done.

Please go talk to a guidance counselor.

Please

[StarshineEmber]

I guess you guys are right. Maybe I should wait just one more day. If he stops I won't report him but if he continues I'll go say something

[Geist]

No, don't wait. Do it now.

You did not ask for this. Not even a little. And while I admire your ability to be compassionate, there comes a time when one must realize that compassion does not mean taking abuse from another person. Please report him! You don't deserve this.

[Nola]

I wanted to join this, StarshineEmber, to echo what everyone else has to say here, but also to add a bit more.

This bully is targeting you (and most likely others) because you're there. Not because you're somehow less pretty, smart, talented or athletic than anyone else. In fact, from my experience working with kids like this, he might be doing it because you're nice to him. Sucks that it works that way, but like everyone else said, that is not your problem. At all, ever, not even a little. It is 110% his issues that are making him act like a complete jerk.

That being said. when you report him, because I know you can do this, he will get the help he needs. And, maybe he'll get better. Maybe he'll find someone who is able to help him deal with his parent's divorce, and whatever other issues in a healthy way.

But you're not the one who has to help him by being nice to him, or thinking that you somehow deserve his bullying. You don't. (But, fyi, by telling someone about what's happening, you will be helping him - and that can be something for you to feel really good about).

Good luck, sweetie. If I can be of any help, please feel free to PM me.

[CHOCOLATE <3]

I wanted to join this, StarshineEmber, to echo what everyone else has to say here, but also to add a bit more.

This bully is targeting you (and most likely others) because you're there. Not because you're somehow less pretty, smart, talented or athletic than anyone else. In fact, from my experience working with kids like this, he might be doing it because you're nice to him. Sucks that it works that way, but like everyone else said, that is not your problem. At all, ever, not even a little. It is 110% his issues that are making him act like a complete jerk.

That being said. when you report him, because I know you can do this, he will get the help he needs. And, maybe he'll get better. Maybe he'll find someone who is able to help him deal with his parent's divorce, and whatever other issues in a healthy way.

But you're not the one who has to help him by being nice to him, or thinking that you somehow deserve his bullying. You don't. (But, fyi, by telling someone about what's happening, you will be helping him - and that can be something for you to feel really good about).

Good luck, sweetie. If I can be of any help, please feel free to PM me.

I second all of this.

[Mr Sneezy]

I wanted to join this, StarshineEmber, to echo what everyone else has to say here, but also to add a bit more.

This bully is targeting you (and most likely others) because you're there. Not because you're somehow less pretty, smart, talented or athletic than anyone else. In fact, from my experience working with kids like this, he might be doing it because you're nice to him. Sucks that it works that way, but like everyone else said, that is not your problem. At all, ever, not even a little. It is 110% his issues that are making him act like a complete jerk.

That being said. when you report him, because I know you can do this, he will get the help he needs. And, maybe he'll get better. Maybe he'll find someone who is able to help him deal with his parent's divorce, and whatever other issues in a healthy way.

But you're not the one who has to help him by being nice to him, or thinking that you somehow deserve his bullying. You don't. (But, fyi, by telling someone about what's happening, you will be helping him - and that can be something for you to feel really good about).

Good luck, sweetie. If I can be of any help, please feel free to PM me.

I second all of this.

I'll third it. When you go to school on Monday, don't go to class. Go to the guidance counsellor's office, demand a meet and lay the whole thing out. it will help if you can put together dates and occurrances and make sure you say you are worried for your well-being and that he may turn physical on you.

The school has the duty of care. They must act if a report is made. Go higher if the guidance counsellor fobs you off.

[Leafeon78]

I agree with what the rest said report him i never stopped getting bullied until i told someone i still sorta get it now and im yr11 but trust me eventually it will get too much to handle it i never told no one until i broke down one night as it got worse and never stopped.

[StarshineEmber]

I tried reporting him on Thursday when I had to see my counsler for Pre-Registering into my classes for sophomore year. I almost did it except last minute I got scared and shut up about. How do I prevent this from happening again?

[bloom]

Write it out. As much as you can recall, as many incidents as you can remember and the dates they happened on if you can. Make several copies about this just in case and hand one into the counselor. That way all you have to do is say "This is something that's been bothering me but I'm having a hard time talking about it. I've written it all out here." It's much easier to do it this way than to have a face-to-face conversation if that kind of thing makes you nervous.

[CHOCOLATE <3]

Write it out. As much as you can recall, as many incidents as you can remember and the dates they happened on if you can. Make several copies about this just in case and hand one into the counselor. That way all you have to do is say "This is something that's been bothering me but I'm having a hard time talking about it. I've written it all out here." It's much easier to do it this way than to have a face-to-face conversation if that kind of thing makes you nervous.

Yeah, do exactly this. I get really nervous around people, and so I need to write out everything or I'll get all flustered and forget.

(Junia, I LOVE your profile picture )

[Arty]

Yes write it out girl. Let us know how it goes. We're all here for you.

[StarshineEmber]

Anyone want to share some of their bullying stories and how you overcame them. It would help a lot.

[murphy dee]

Anyone want to share some of their bullying stories and how you overcame them. It would help a lot.

There was a girl in my advisory period when I was in 7th grade. She was also a very angry kid and liked to pick on other people and make them feel badly. Sometimes she would say nasty things to me in passing but I never told anyone, and once she had tried to stab my thigh with a pencil. Then one day I happened to see her take a razor blade out of her backpack and cut some sort of design into her ankle. I told her to stop doing it, and when she realized I had seen her, she swiped at me with the razor blade but I ducked away just in time and then moved to the other side of the room.

After that I told my mom what happened and my mom talked to the principal. The next day the principal brought me into her office and I told her about what the girl had tried to do. She got in a lot of trouble and I was VERY scared that she would try to hurt me, but she never did. Later that year she ended up going to one of those schools that troubled kids go to, and I didn't see her again until senior year of high school like 5 years later.

So I know you're scared of getting him in trouble, but ultimately you have to realize that he's a bully, and bullies are cowards. He's picking on you, a girl, because it makes him feel stronger than he really is. He's pathetic! And he needs to be put in his place.

[Mr Sneezy]

Anyone want to share some of their bullying stories and how you overcame them. It would help a lot.

There was a girl in my advisory period when I was in 7th grade. She was also a very angry kid and liked to pick on other people and make them feel badly. Sometimes she would say nasty things to me in passing but I never told anyone, and once she had tried to stab my thigh with a pencil. Then one day I happened to see her take a razor blade out of her backpack and cut some sort of design into her ankle. I told her to stop doing it, and when she realized I had seen her, she swiped at me with the razor blade but I ducked away just in time and then moved to the other side of the room.

After that I told my mom what happened and my mom talked to the principal. The next day the principal brought me into her office and I told her about what the girl had tried to do. She got in a lot of trouble and I was VERY scared that she would try to hurt me, but she never did. Later that year she ended up going to one of those schools that troubled kids go to, and I didn't see her again until senior year of high school like 5 years later.

So I know you're scared of getting him in trouble, but ultimately you have to realize that he's a bully, and bullies are cowards. He's picking on you, a girl, because it makes him feel stronger than he really is. He's pathetic! And he needs to be put in his place.

Spot on, Murphy.

[R.L]

Anyone want to share some of their bullying stories and how you overcame them. It would help a lot.

Sadly, I have a story of what can happen if you DON'T do anything about it.

I was a weird kid, socially awkward, loud and kinda sensitive. My peers started bullying me when I wasn't even in school yet, I was 5 years old. A group of boys started saying mean stuff to me, I got angry and they'd just love teasing me more. I don't remember if I even tried telling anyone at that point, if it even crossed my mind.

When I started 1st grade, the same boys were there (I'm from a small town). I didn't get any friends, since being awkward kinda tends to cause that. The boys did have friends though, and the group bullying me got bigger. The girls started shutting me out of their groups.

Second grade, it got worse. We had some meetings with my teacher and my parents about the bullying problem, but there were so many of them. I didn't even know their names, their faces or anything. At that point it probably was already too late. That year I got into fights, the boys didn't just leave it at shouting, my highlight of the year I still remember to this day was this one day, one recess when a girl from my class talked to me in a friendly way.

I think by the third year, I had become the most unpopular kid at our school. And I mean that for real. The bullies had spread this "rule" around: no one could talk to me nicely or they'd be targeted too, everyone should either ignore me or make fun of me. I once heard they brag about how one of them managed to make me cry, so I guess that was considered an achievement of some sort..? Dunno.

So, this continued. At times, probably once or twice a year, the teachers would make attempts at confronting the problem, but it didn't work. It was simply power in numbers. My parents weren't really the supportive type, my mother was ashamed and angry that I was the only one bullied so and my father's advice was to punch them all. I moved away as soon as I could, which was after 9th grade.

Sadly, I had to move back to my parents' house when I was 16 and I went to the local high school.

Guess what.

Bullying continued.

Well obviously, I had been gone for only a year. I was hospitalised with severe depression soon after.

(Bonus: I actually got bullied in the hospital too. There was this one girl who had been at the same school, and she didn't even know me. She bullied me because her friends had told her "stories" about me.)

How I overcame it..? Well honestly, I didn't, yet. XD Still working on it.

[Sass]

I got bullied at school for similar reasons as R.L., I was a bit different to the other kids, a bit awkward and just wasn't interested in the same things. Most of the bullying was was verbal but there was one kid who threw rocks at me. I got a cut on my knee from a rock he threw at me that needed stitches. I didn't talk to any teachers either because I had similar fears as you. I did tell my mother but she told me the boy was probably doing it because he had a crush on me. Very helpful.

I never dealt with it at the time but after high school something wonderful happened, I found that outside school all the people who don't fit in find each other and become friends and everything gets better!

Please, please do go to your teachers for help if the bullying continues, it is not up to you to deal with this boys problems, your a kid you should just be enjoying your time at school.

[Nola]

Write it out.

I agree with this. Not necessarily for documentation purposes only, though that is very important in certain circumstances where it might be your word against his - although, with his history, chances are people will believe you no matter what he says. I also think though that you should write this out, to just get it out, because then it will be easier for you to talk about it. Which is important.

I, too, am a person who gets pretty nervous talking to people especially about sensitive matters that deal with me personally. But what I can offer is this; if for some reason you do not feel you can ever talk to your guidance counselor about it, then find someone who will do it for you, at least as an introduction. Make a good friend or a trusted adult go with you and have them sort of introduce the issue to the guidance counselor, principal, whoever else. It will still be scary, but it will be a lot more scary to leave it be and let this kid continue to treat you poorly.

As for a personal bullying story, I can tell you of brola1's who was a year behind me in school. He was this sweet, shy, skinny, creative little fourth grader and for whatever reason, two boys (one of them our cousin) decided to pick on him merciless. Well, back then bullying was dealt with the 'hit him back' policy, or the 'ignore it and they'll stop', but my brother wasn't about to hit anyone, and well, he wasn't ignoring it well, either. He didn't want to go to school and he was very unhappy. He even started being a bully himself to brola2 and to a much lesser extent, brola3. So what was a sister to do? Shy and quiet as I am and probably always will be, I marched my eleven year old self up to the fat red headed bully twice the size of both me and brola1 and told him if he didn't leave brola1 alone then he'd have to deal with me. It worked, but the damage was already very much done. Brola1, in some ways still continues to be affected by this. As does brola2.

I tell you this in hopes that you can do something about it now, before you are left with so much irreparable damage. Get this kid out of your life, for both of your sakes.You can do this; I promise you're so much stronger and capable than I was at 11. Again, good luck sweetie.

[Geist]

I've got one with a mixed result. It's a horrific/but turned out okay thing.

There was a guy who bullied me in 6th grade for the dumbest reason. I used to carry my purse on my left shoulder but with the strap diagonal across my body. I did this because we had a rash of "purse snatching" at our school and if the strap was across my body, no one could grab it. It was a nice purse and I really like it, so I carried it like that all the time. This guy thought it was funny because no other girl did that. That's how it started.

Next, he found out I was in the special class called "gifted and talented." There were only 7 kids in the class and it was my favorite part of the day, but I got made fun of a lot for being "a smart kid." (FYI, this class wasn't just for "smart" kids. It was for the overly creative types, too.) Well, he used to try to bully me into doing his homework and I would always say "no." Now, I'm a very outspoken person, so I had no problem telling him to go away, but I was very threatened by this kid. I was 11 and he was 13 and in the 7th grade. He had failed a few grades and wasn't very bright, which why I assume he picked on me and the other kids in the gifted program. But he liked picking on me the most.

This guy had given himself this "gangsta" nickname at one point. He called himself "Guido" because he had heard a tough pimp in a movie use it. Well, look up the definition of "Guido" some time. It's actually rather derogatory. I knew this and one day when he was jerking on my purse and making fun of it, I said the following:

"You know 'guido' is slang for a poor dude with a macho-man complex, right?"

Do you know what he did then? He wrapped both hands around my neck and picked me up off the ground in an attempt to strangle me.

Read that again.

Read it one more time.

A 6'2" BOY wrapped his hands around the throat of a 5' tall GIRL and tried to strangle her.

Well, I actually considered NOT going to the principal because he scared me, but I did so, anyway. The principal was HORRIFIED and called my dad immediately. When my father showed up at the school he was LIVID. I mean, I have never seen that man so furious in my life. He checked me out of school and took me to the doctor to make sure this guy hadn't hurt me. I kept saying I was fine and didn't really understand the implication of what that kid had done at the time.

Well, my father called HIS father and threatened legal action if his son so much as even looked at me ever again. The kid's fingers left a mark on my throat, btw. My father took pictures of it.

The kid was expelled. No questions asked. No second chances. I don't know what happened to him, but he really could have hurt me. He could have done more than hurt me, if you really want to think "Most Terrible Outcome Ever."

What started out as rather harmless teasing led to this because I didn't speak up in time. It turned out fine in the end, but make no mistake, hurting people hurt others. It could be verbal, it could be physical. You never know.

Speak up. Do it now. You CAN do this!

[StarshineEmber]

I've got one with a mixed result. It's a horrific/but turned out okay thing.

There was a guy who bullied me in 6th grade for the dumbest reason. I used to carry my purse on my left shoulder but with the strap diagonal across my body. I did this because we had a rash of "purse snatching" at our school and if the strap was across my body, no one could grab it. It was a nice purse and I really like it, so I carried it like that all the time. This guy thought it was funny because no other girl did that. That's how it started.

Next, he found out I was in the special class called "gifted and talented." There were only 7 kids in the class and it was my favorite part of the day, but I got made fun of a lot for being "a smart kid." (FYI, this class wasn't just for "smart" kids. It was for the overly creative types, too.) Well, he used to try to bully me into doing his homework and I would always say "no." Now, I'm a very outspoken person, so I had no problem telling him to go away, but I was very threatened by this kid. I was 11 and he was 13 and in the 7th grade. He had failed a few grades and wasn't very bright, which why I assume he picked on me and the other kids in the gifted program. But he liked picking on me the most.

This guy had given himself this "gangsta" nickname at one point. He called himself "Guido" because he had heard a tough pimp in a movie use it. Well, look up the definition of "Guido" some time. It's actually rather derogatory. I knew this and one day when he was jerking on my purse and making fun of it, I said the following:

"You know 'guido' is slang for a poor dude with a macho-man complex, right?"

Do you know what he did then? He wrapped both hands around my neck and picked me up off the ground in an attempt to strangle me.

Read that again.

Read it one more time.

A 6'2" BOY wrapped his hands around the throat of a 5' tall GIRL and tried to strangle her.

Well, I actually considered NOT going to the principal because he scared me, but I did so, anyway. The principal was HORRIFIED and called my dad immediately. When my father showed up at the school he was LIVID. I mean, I have never seen that man so furious in my life. He checked me out of school and took me to the doctor to make sure this guy hadn't hurt me. I kept saying I was fine and didn't really understand the implication of what that kid had done at the time.

Well, my father called HIS father and threatened legal action if his son so much as even looked at me ever again. The kid's fingers left a mark on my throat, btw. My father took pictures of it.

The kid was expelled. No questions asked. No second chances. I don't know what happened to him, but he really could have hurt me. He could have done more than hurt me, if you really want to think "Most Terrible Outcome Ever."

What started out as rather harmless teasing led to this because I didn't speak up in time. It turned out fine in the end, but make no mistake, hurting people hurt others. It could be verbal, it could be physical. You never know.

Speak up. Do it now. You CAN do this!

Oh god that was horrible. He really tried to strangle you. Did he do it until you couldn't breathe? That must of been a horrible experience to live through. If I was your dad I totally would of sued.I'm sorry you had to go through that. It's good thing you reported him.

[StarshineEmber]

Write it out.

I agree with this. Not necessarily for documentation purposes only, though that is very important in certain circumstances where it might be your word against his - although, with his history, chances are people will believe you no matter what he says. I also think though that you should write this out, to just get it out, because then it will be easier for you to talk about it. Which is important.

I, too, am a person who gets pretty nervous talking to people especially about sensitive matters that deal with me personally. But what I can offer is this; if for some reason you do not feel you can ever talk to your guidance counselor about it, then find someone who will do it for you, at least as an introduction. Make a good friend or a trusted adult go with you and have them sort of introduce the issue to the guidance counselor, principal, whoever else. It will still be scary, but it will be a lot more scary to leave it be and let this kid continue to treat you poorly.

As for a personal bullying story, I can tell you of brola1's who was a year behind me in school. He was this sweet, shy, skinny, creative little fourth grader and for whatever reason, two boys (one of them our cousin) decided to pick on him merciless. Well, back then bullying was dealt with the 'hit him back' policy, or the 'ignore it and they'll stop', but my brother wasn't about to hit anyone, and well, he wasn't ignoring it well, either. He didn't want to go to school and he was very unhappy. He even started being a bully himself to brola2 and to a much lesser extent, brola3. So what was a sister to do? Shy and quiet as I am and probably always will be, I marched my eleven year old self up to the fat red headed bully twice the size of both me and brola1 and told him if he didn't leave brola1 alone then he'd have to deal with me. It worked, but the damage was already very much done. Brola1, in some ways still continues to be affected by this. As does brola2.

I tell you this in hopes that you can do something about it now, before you are left with so much irreparable damage. Get this kid out of your life, for both of your sakes.You can do this; I promise you're so much stronger and capable than I was at 11. Again, good luck sweetie.

I can't believe someone's family member would bully their own flesh and blood. That must of been brutal. I applaud (is that how you spell it?) you for standing up for your brother though. You must have been one tough chick.

[StarshineEmber]

Anyone want to share some of their bullying stories and how you overcame them. It would help a lot.

There was a girl in my advisory period when I was in 7th grade. She was also a very angry kid and liked to pick on other people and make them feel badly. Sometimes she would say nasty things to me in passing but I never told anyone, and once she had tried to stab my thigh with a pencil. Then one day I happened to see her take a razor blade out of her backpack and cut some sort of design into her ankle. I told her to stop doing it, and when she realized I had seen her, she swiped at me with the razor blade but I ducked away just in time and then moved to the other side of the room.

After that I told my mom what happened and my mom talked to the principal. The next day the principal brought me into her office and I told her about what the girl had tried to do. She got in a lot of trouble and I was VERY scared that she would try to hurt me, but she never did. Later that year she ended up going to one of those schools that troubled kids go to, and I didn't see her again until senior year of high school like 5 years later.

So I know you're scared of getting him in trouble, but ultimately you have to realize that he's a bully, and bullies are cowards. He's picking on you, a girl, because it makes him feel stronger than he really is. He's pathetic! And he needs to be put in his place.

She was a violent person. Did she ever manage to hurt you in like a physical way? Did she try to mess with you in your senior year? I'm glad you're out of the situation though.

Anyone want to share some of their bullying stories and how you overcame them. It would help a lot.

Sadly, I have a story of what can happen if you DON'T do anything about it.

I was a weird kid, socially awkward, loud and kinda sensitive. My peers started bullying me when I wasn't even in school yet, I was 5 years old. A group of boys started saying mean stuff to me, I got angry and they'd just love teasing me more. I don't remember if I even tried telling anyone at that point, if it even crossed my mind.

When I started 1st grade, the same boys were there (I'm from a small town). I didn't get any friends, since being awkward kinda tends to cause that. The boys did have friends though, and the group bullying me got bigger. The girls started shutting me out of their groups.

Second grade, it got worse. We had some meetings with my teacher and my parents about the bullying problem, but there were so many of them. I didn't even know their names, their faces or anything. At that point it probably was already too late. That year I got into fights, the boys didn't just leave it at shouting, my highlight of the year I still remember to this day was this one day, one recess when a girl from my class talked to me in a friendly way.

I think by the third year, I had become the most unpopular kid at our school. And I mean that for real. The bullies had spread this "rule" around: no one could talk to me nicely or they'd be targeted too, everyone should either ignore me or make fun of me. I once heard they brag about how one of them managed to make me cry, so I guess that was considered an achievement of some sort..? Dunno.

So, this continued. At times, probably once or twice a year, the teachers would make attempts at confronting the problem, but it didn't work. It was simply power in numbers. My parents weren't really the supportive type, my mother was ashamed and angry that I was the only one bullied so and my father's advice was to punch them all. I moved away as soon as I could, which was after 9th grade.

Sadly, I had to move back to my parents' house when I was 16 and I went to the local high school.

Guess what.

Bullying continued.

Well obviously, I had been gone for only a year. I was hospitalised with severe depression soon after.

(Bonus: I actually got bullied in the hospital too. There was this one girl who had been at the same school, and she didn't even know me. She bullied me because her friends had told her "stories" about me.)

How I overcame it..? Well honestly, I didn't, yet. XD Still working on it.

That's sad. Who would want to bully a small little 1st grader. That's just cold. I got better right? Now that you're older and everything they stopped right. I'm sorry that you had to get bullied through your whole entire childhood. That must of been a living hell.